《英文弟子规（三词韵译）》（节选）

覃

军

译

（湖北民族学院 外国语学院）

【导言】

《弟子规》原名《训蒙文》，为清朝康熙年间秀才李毓秀所作,其内容采用《论语》“学而篇”第六条“弟子，入则孝，出则悌，谨而信，泛爱众，而亲仁，行有余力，则以学文”的文义，列述弟子在家、外出、接物、待人与学习上应该恪守的守则规范。其中“弟子”的理解可以与时俱进。在家指孩子；在学校指学生；在公司指员工；在单位指下级；在社会，指公民。《弟子规》是集中国传统家训、家规、家教之大成，被誉为人生第一规，是做人之根本。

As one of the most popular primers in China, Guidelines for Children (Dizi Gui) was written by Li Yuxiu in the Qing Dynasty during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1661-1722).It is based on the ancient teaching of the Chinese philosopher Confucius that emphasizes the basic requisites for being a good person and guidelines for living in harmony with people.The Chinese version was written in three-character verses for the sake of smooth reading.To keep the original style, the English translation is also written in three-word verses without the lo of content, in order to help the English readers not only understand the text but also capture the eence of Chinese civilization that belongs both to China and to the whole world.

【节选】

弟子规

shèngrénxùndì

zǐ

guī

圣人训

首孝悌 次谨信

Children should abide By Confucius’ guide: Respect elders ’n parent; Be trustworthy \'n prudent.【释义】

《弟子规》这本书是孔子对学生的生活规范。首先要孝顺父母，尊敬兄长，其次要做到言语行为小心谨慎而讲信用。

This book consists of the guidelines handed down by ancient sages on being a good student and child.First of all, be filial to your own parents and respectful to all of your elders; then be trustworthy and cautious.

cì

jǐn

xìn

shǒuxiàotì

泛爱众 而亲仁 有余力 则学文

Love for humanity; Learn from morality.Accomplish these then, You study \'n learn.【释义】

平等博爱，广泛地爱众人，并亲近有仁德的人，向他们学习。如果还有多余的时间与精力，就应该去读书做学问。

Love all people equally and to be close to and learn from people of virtue and compaion.Whatever time you have left should be devoted to learning.

zé

xuéwényǒu

yú

lì

ér

qīnrén

fànàizhòng

父母呼 应勿缓 父母命 行勿懒

When parents order,

xíngwù

lǎn

fù

mǔmìngyīngwùhuǎn

fùmǔhū

Quick to answer.When parents say, Do without delay.【释义】

父母呼唤你时，应该及时应答；父母交代去做的事情，应该立刻动身去做，不要推辞偷懒。

When your parent is calling you or asking you to do something, do not be slow to respond them, nor be lazy or sulky to do the job.

父母教 须敬听 父母责 须顺承

Be all ears To instructions \'o Dears.When reproached by, Accept and comply.【释义】

对于父母的教诲，应当恭敬聆听；面对父母的批评，应当态度端正，顺从接受。 When your parents instruct you, you should listen respectfully.When your parents reproach you, you should obey and accept with faithful compliance.

xūshùnchéngfù

mǔ

zé

xū

jìngtīng

fùmǔjiào

冬则温 夏则凊 晨则省 昏则定

Make beddings better According to th’ weather.Give them greeting At morning ’n evening.

【释义】

冬天要让父母的被窝暖和，夏天要让父母的被窝凉爽。每天早晨要跟父母请安，夜晚要服侍父母就寝。

hūn

zédìngchénzéxǐngxià

zé

jìng

dōngzéwēnMake sure that your parents’ beddings are warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.In the morning, you should greet them.At night, you should make sure your parents rest well.

出必告 反必面 居有常 业无变

When come ’n go, Let parents know, Where you live, What you achieve.【释义】

出门前，应该告诉父母自己的去向，免得父母担忧；回到家，应该先当面见一下父母，报个平安。居住的地方要固定，生活要有规律，做事要有恒心，不要随意更换工作。

Tell your parents if you plan to go out; report to them when you get back.Settle down in one certain place with a routine life; don’t switch from one job to another but persist in whatever you do.

yè

wúbiànjū

yǒuchángfǎn

bìmiàn

chūbìgào

事虽小 勿擅为 苟擅为 子道亏

No things evil Are too trivial.Keep these away, Dutiful you’ll stay.

【释义】

事情虽小，也不要擅自作主和行动；擅自行动造成错误，让父母担忧，有失做子女的本分。

A matter might be trivial, but if it is wrong to do, you must not do it.If you act just as you please, your parents would not want to see you doing things that are irrational or

zǐ

dàokuīgǒushànwéiwùshànwéi

shìsuīxiǎoillegal.

物虽小 勿私藏 苟私藏 亲心伤

Things even small.Get \'em by law.Stealing is bad, Makes parents sad.【释义】

东西虽小，不要私自把它们藏起来。如果私藏东西，父母知道后，一定会感到很伤心的。

Although a thing may be small, do not save it just for yourself.For if you hide things for yourself, you will hurt your parents’ hearts.

qīn

xīnshānggǒu

sīcángwù

sīcáng

wùsuīxiǎo

亲所好 力为具 亲所恶 谨为去

Try hard t’ offer What parents favor.Dispose with care Their offensive affair.【释义】

父母喜欢的东西，应该尽力去准备齐全；父母厌恶的东西，应该小心谨慎地处理掉。

If whatever pleases your parents is reasonable, you should try your best to get it for them.If something displeases your parents within reason, you should cautiously keep it away from them.

jǐn

wéi

qù

qīnsuǒwùlì

wéi

jù

qīnsuǒhào

身有伤 贻亲忧

yí

qīnyōu

shēnyǒushāng

德有伤 贻亲羞

Your hurt body Makes parents worry; Your immoral claim Brings them shame.【释义】

自己的身体受到伤害，必然会引起父母忧虑；如果是名声品德上有问题，必然会令父母蒙羞受辱。

If you carelely injure your body, your parents will worry about you.While if your virtues are compromised, you bring shame and disgrace to them.

yí

qīn

xiū

déyǒushāng

亲爱我 孝何难 亲憎我 孝方贤

If parents’re kind, Piety in mind; Test comes when They’re hateful men.【释义】

如果父母对你很慈爱，孝敬父母不是什么难事；但如果父母很憎恨你，你还能对父母心存孝意，这才是难能可贵的。

When your parents are loving and kind, of course it’s not difficult to be filial to your parents.But the true test of being a filial son comes when your parents are hateful and cruel.

xiàofāngxiánqīnzēngwǒxiàohénán

qīnàiwǒ

亲有过 谏使更 怡吾色 柔吾声

When parents’re astray,

Mend their way,

róuwúshēngyí

wú

sè

jiànshǐgēng

qīnyǒuguò

With face pleasing, And voice caring.【释义】

如果父母有过错，应该努力劝说父母改正，劝导时应该和颜悦色、态度诚恳，说话的语气要轻柔。

If you recognize faults in your parents, you should urge them to change for the better and speak with a kind facial expreion and a warm gentle voice.

亲有疾 药先尝 昼夜侍 不离床

Parents are ill, Get them pill; Stay bedside there;

Take them care.【释义】

父母生病时，要替父母先尝药的冷热；应该尽力昼夜服侍，不离开床前。 When your parents are ill, you should taste the medicine first before giving it to them.You should take care of them day and night and do not leave them alone.

bù

líchuángzhòuyè

shì

yàoxiāncháng

qīnyǒují

丧三年

chángbēijū

sāngsānnián

yè

常悲咽 居处变 酒肉绝

jiǔ

ròujuéchùbiàn

Parent’s paed away, Mournful you stay; Bread and water Make your dinner. 【释义】

父母去世之后，要守孝三年，经常追思、感怀父母的养育之恩；改变生活起居，戒酒戒肉。

For three years after your parents have paed away, you should remember them with gratitude in sadne for not being able to repay them for their kindne.During this period you should live simply and not adorn your home.And also avoid merry-making and indulgence in food and alcoholic drinks.

丧尽礼 祭尽诚 事死者 如事生

Funeral, be ritual, Memorial, be real.To parents departed, Kindne deep hearted. 【释义】

办理父母的丧事要合乎礼节，祭奠父母要诚心诚意；对待去世的父母，要像生前一样恭敬。

Observe proper etiquette in arranging your parents’ funerals, and remember them with a sincere heart on the anniversaries of their death.You should honor them as if they were still alive.

xiōngdàoyǒudìrú

shìshēngshì

sǐ

zhě

jì

jìnchéng

sāngjìnlǐ

兄道友 弟道恭

xiōngdì

dàogōng

mù

兄弟睦 孝在中

Brother or sister, Hold them dear.Brothers in harmony, A sign ’o piety.

【释义】

兄长对弟妹要友善，弟妹对兄长要恭敬；兄弟姊妹能和睦相处，孝道就体现在其中了。

The older siblings should love and care for the younger ones, and the younger ones should love and respect the older ones.Keeping harmonious relationships with your

xiàozàizhōngsiblings is a sign of respecting your parents.

huòyǐn

shí

或饮食 或坐走

zhǎngzhěxiānyòuzhěhòuhuòzuòzǒu

长者先 幼者后

Drinking or eating, Walking or sitting, First the elder, Then the younger.【释义】

无论是饮食用餐，还是坐立行走，都应让年长者优先，年幼者居后。

When people are eating or drinking, sitting down or taking a walk, let the elders do first.The younger ones should follow behind.

chēngzūnzhǎngwù

hūmíng

称尊长 勿呼名 对尊长 勿见能

wùxiànnéngduìzūnzhǎng

Addreing the elder, Use titles proper.With ’em in talk, Don’t play th’ peacock.

【释义】

称呼尊者长辈，不应该直呼其名；在尊者长辈面前，应该谦虚有礼，不应该故意炫耀自己的才能。

In speaking to the elders, use the proper titles of respect instead of calling him by his name.Do not show off or try to look smart before them.

尊长前

shēngyàodī

zūnzhǎngqián

dī

声要低 低不闻

bùwén

却非宜

Before elder men, Speak softly then.Soft to th’ ear, Loud enough t’ hear.

【释义】

与尊长说话，或者在尊长面前与别人说话，应该低声细气；但声音太低，交头接耳，窃窃私语，尊长听不清楚，也不合适。

Speak softly and in a low voice when you are in talk with elders or in front of elders.But it is not appropriate, if your voice is too low to be heard.

quèfēiyí

进必趋 退必迟 问起对 视勿移

Hurry t’ say Hi; Patient t’ say Bye.T’ answer, you rise, With attentive eyes.【释义】

面见长辈时，应快步向前，告退时，要缓慢而行才合礼节；长辈问话时，应该起身作答，而且应该注视聆听，不应东张西望。

Walk quickly towards an elder when you are greeting him, and take leave slowly after the greeting.When answering his questions, you should stand up and look at him with attention instead of looking around.

shì

wù

yí

wèn

qǐ

duì

tuì

bì

chí

jìnbìqū

事诸父 如事父 事诸兄 如事兄

Uncles to you Are parents too.Cousins you consider

rú

shìxiōngshìzhūxiōngrú

shì

fù

shìzhūfù

As brother ’n sister.

【释义】

侍奉叔伯，应如同侍奉自己的父亲一般恭敬；对待同族兄辈，应如同对待自己的亲兄弟一样友爱。

Regard your uncles as if they were your own parents and your cousins as if they were your own siblings.

zhāoqǐ

zǎo

朝起早 夜眠迟 老易至 惜此时

Early to rise, For time flies.Late you stay, Seize the day.【释义】

早上应该早起，晚上不应该过早入睡；因为人生易老，所以应该珍惜时光。 Get up early in the morning and go to bed at a reasonable time, for time is paing by and cannot be turned back.So you should treasure the present moment, seize the day and seize the hour.

xī

cǐ

shí

lǎo

yì

zhì

yèmiánchí

晨必盥 兼漱口 便溺回 辄净手

After morning brush, Remember to flush.After using th’ loo, Wash hands too.【释义】

早晨起床，务必洗脸梳妆、刷牙漱口；大小便回来，应该马上洗手。

Wash your face and brush your teeth when you get up in the morning.And remember to wash your hands after using the toilet.

zhéjìngshǒubiànniàohuíjiānshùkǒu

chénbìguàn

冠必正 纽必结 袜与履 俱紧切

Hat in place; Dre in grace.Socks and shoes Neat, not loose.【释义】

帽子要戴正，衣服要扣好；袜子穿平整，鞋带应系紧，穿戴仪容要整洁。 Make sure your hat is properly put on, clothing correctly buttoned, socks neatly worn and shoelaces well fastened.

zhìguānfújù

jǐn

qiē

wà

yǔ

lǚ

niǔ

bì

jié

guānbìzhèng

臵冠服 有定位 勿乱顿 致污秽

Keep your dre Not in me.Keep them tidy; Don’t get dirty.

【释义】

脱下来的衣服，应放置到固定的位置；衣物不要随便乱扔，以免弄脏弄乱。 Put away your clothes in their proper places.Do not leave them lying around, or they’re sure to get wrinkled and dirty.

yī

guì

jié

zhì

wū

huì

wùluàndùnyǒudìngwèi

衣贵洁 不贵华

shàngxúnfènxiàchènjiābù

guìhuá

上循分 下称家

Neatne makes nice Not th’ clothing price.Suitable for position, And family tradition.【释义】

服装穿着重在干净整洁，不在高贵华丽；着装要一则符合自己的身份，一则符合自己的家境。

It is more important that your clothes are clean and neat, rather than stylish or expensive.You should wear only what is suitable for your social status and financial position.

对饮食 勿拣择 食适可 勿过则

At your dinner, Don’t be chooser.Drink or food, Enough is good.【释义】

对待饮食，不要挑挑拣拣；吃饭要适当有节，不要过量无限。 At dinner, don’t pick and choose your food.Don’t over eat.

wùguò

zé

shí

shì

kě

wùjiǎn

zé

duìyǐnshí

步从容 立端正

揖深圆 拜恭敬

Walk with ease; Stand with grace.Bows be deep, Respect you keep.【释义】

走路时，步伐要从容大方；站立时，姿态要端正；作揖行礼时，身体要弯得深；

bàigōngjìngyīshēnyuánlì

duānzhèng

bùcóngróng礼拜他人时，要真诚恭敬。

Walk in an unhurried manner and stand up straight and tall.When greeting people, make sure your bows are deep with great respect.

缓揭帘 勿有声 宽转弯 勿触棱

Open doors slow; Make voice low.Walk with U-turns No sharp Z-turns.【释义】

进入房间要轻缓地揭开门帘，应该动作轻缓，不要发出声响；走路拐弯时，应该绕大点圈，不要撞到物品的棱角。

Open the door slowly and quietly when entering a room; go wide when you’re turning a corner, and don’t trip on the legs of the chairs or tables.

wùchùléngkuānzhuǎnwānwùyǒushēng

huǎnjiēlián

执虚器 如执盈 入虚室 如有人

Carrying empty ware, Handle with care.T’ room without lock, Enter with knock.【释义】

拿空器具的时候，应该像拿着装满了东西的器具一样小心；进入无人的房间，应该像进入有人的房间一样，不可以随便。

You should carry an empty container, just as carefully as one that is full.And enter an empty room as carefully as someone is in it.

rú

yǒurénrù

xū

shì

rú

zhíyíng

zhíxūqì

事勿忙

shìwùmáng

mángduōcuòwùwèinánwùqīnglüè

忙多错 勿畏难 勿轻略

Rush and haste Make only waste.Crack hard nuts; Ignore no butts.【释义】

做事不要匆匆忙忙，也不要慌慌张张，因为忙中容易出错；做事不要畏惧困难，也不要草率行事。

Avoid doing things in a hurry, as it will lead to mistakes.Neither be afraid of difficult tasks nor be carele with easy ones.

huàshuōduōbù

话说多 不如少 惟其是 勿佞巧

Walk the walk, Not talk th’ talk.Be a truth-teller, Not a smooth-talker.【释义】

话多不如话少；说话实事求是，不要妄言取巧。

It is better to speak le rather than talking too much.Tell only the truth instead of twisting the facts.

wùnìngqiǎowéi

qí

shìrúshǎo

无心非 名为错 有心非 名为恶

A carele behavior,

A mere error.

míngwéi

è

yǒuxīn

fēi

míngwéicuò

wúxīnfēi

Error on purpose, Bad to worse.【释义】

无意中做错了事，称为过错；若是明知故犯做错事，便是罪恶。

When an error is made accidentally, it’s simply called a mistake.While if it is done on purpose, it is not a mistake but an evil act.

勿谄富 勿骄贫 勿厌故 勿喜新

Treat equally each, Th’ poor or rich.Friends are gold, Both new ’n old.【释义】

不要献媚巴结有钱人，也不要对穷人骄横无礼；不要喜新厌旧。

Neither flatter the rich nor despise the poor; neither ignore old friends nor only take delight in new ones.

wù

xǐ

xīn

wùyàngùwùjiāopín

wùchǎnfù

方读此 勿慕彼 此未终 彼勿起

Read by steps, Not by leaps.A good starter, A good finisher.【释义】

读书要专心致志，不能这本书才开始读没多久，又想看其他的书，或是这段还未读完，就又想读另一段。

Be absorbed in your reading and do not think about another book when you just begin to read this one.Be sure that you have finished one paragraph before starting

bǐ

wù

qǐ

cǐ

wèizhōngwù

mù

bǐ

fāngdúcǐanother.

勿自暴 勿自弃

shèngyǔxiánkě

xúnzhìwù

zì

qì

wùzìbào

圣与贤 可驯致

Neither be disheartened, Nor be self-abandoned.With efforts ’n pains, You’ll have th’ gains.【释义】

遇到挫折，不要自暴自弃，自甘堕落；圣人与贤人的境界，都是可以通过努力而逐渐达到的。

Neither look down upon yourself nor give up on yourself.Everyone can gradually learn to become a person of high ideals and moral standards as long as he makes unremitting efforts.

----------- 译者简介

覃军，男，1981年生，土家族，硕士，任教于湖北民族学院外国语学院，主要研究方向为诗歌翻译，CAT计算机辅助翻译。曾为多语种诗刊《世界诗人(The World Poets)》客座副总编。连续两届获湖北民族学院青年教师优质课大赛一等奖，获第二届全国微课大赛湖北省赛区一等奖、首届全国外语微课大赛湖北区一等奖、2016年外研社“教学之星”大赛冠军。在《民族翻译》、《重庆大学学报》、《北京第二外国语学院学报》、《重庆交通大学学报》、《英语周报》、《英语辅导报》等刊物发表译文及学术论文数十篇，译有诗歌百余首，译配歌曲十余首，其所译配的民族歌曲在外事活动中广为传唱，并被多家媒体报道。

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